The invention concerns a self-clamping connector.
Clamping connectors are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,514. In the connector presented in the named U.S. Patent, the effective length of the leaf springs corresponds approximately to the diagonally measured distance between the guide-member leg and the contact leg of the conductive core piece. If a "soft" spring characteristic is to be obtained with this known clamping connector, as is necessary for inserting multi-wire and particularly fine-wire electrical conductors, then the effective length of the leaf springs must be dimensioned appropriately larger. However, due to the greater length of the leaf springs, a greater distance results between the guide-member leg and the contact leg of the conductive core piece with the consequence that the material requirement for punching out and shaping the conductive core piece is correspondingly greater.
This is a disadvantage, since the material from which the conductive core piece is to be produced must be a good current conductor and is relatively expensive. Also, in current conductors of this type, we are dealing with a mass-produced product, and any increased requirement for expensive material considerably increases the total production costs.
The task of the invention is to create a clamping connector of the above-named type, which makes possible the use of softer (longer) leaf springs without increasing the material consumption for the conductive core piece thereby.
In the clamping connector of the invention, the large loop part of the leaf spring is the determining factor for the desired soft spring characteristic. The loop part extends in a direction opposite the direction of conductor introduction and utilizes the free space of the construction inside the insulation-material housing of the clamping connector, which is present in connectors of this type due to the structural constriction of the channel of conductor introduction in order to form a point-precise inlet hopper for the clamping site.
The looped leaf spring is mounted with its head part in the guide-member leg, which is connected directly to the contact leg of the corner angle at the point of the corner-angle construction of the conductive core piece. According to the invention, if the foot end of the leaf spring forms with the contact leg a clamping place next to the point of the corner angle (which is possible in the contact insert according to the invention without adversely affecting the desired spring characteristic), then the guide-member leg of the corner-angle conductive core is essentially loaded in a pulling manner by the clamping forces of the leaf spring. Undesired bending moments do not occur on the guide-member leg, so that the strength of the guide-member leg must be calculated only relative to tensile strength, whereby there can be a corresponding savings of material with the constructive dimensioning of the guide-member leg.
This applies also to the constructive dimensioning of the contact leg of the corner-angle conductive core. With this feature (arrangement of the clamping site in the vicinity of the corner point), the latter also need not absorb noteworthy bending moments and remains free overall of mechanical loads of all types (=no bending forces, no pulling forces). The contact leg essentially serves only for current conduction and thus may be optimized in its cross-sectional dimensions exclusively from the point of view of a sufficient cross section for conducting current. This also saves material.